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Article and photographs without Photoshop or AI by Penelope Penn   APRIL IN SOUTH CAROLINA OPENS DOORS TO EXPLORE "Radar," a Great Egret escaped a dire situation in Florid and chose to make his new safe home in South Carolina        A uniquely outfitted Great Egret quickly won the hearts of locals and tourists when he suddenly appeared in a popular Murrells Inlet park, Huntington Beach. I was finally able to unravel the mystery behind him. I learned he'd traveled to find a safe forever home, having been a victim of the tragic 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico-now the Gulf of America. That's over 1,000 miles away. Everyone was fascinated by him and he even had his own Facebook pages in the US and internationally. His fans came daily, enjoying him nonchalantly fishing in the park and ultimately nesting nearby, but none of us were sure why he was banded, and outfitted with a wire protruding from his back.      During my affilia...

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY 2025   Article and Photos without Photoshop or AI by Penelope Penn   As we wrap up our children’s school year, whether you’re filled with trepidation, anxiety, or sheer glee that your kids will be with you 24/7 soon, why not make plans to go a little wild.   May’s the perfect time to plan creative ways to entertain and bond and you’re never too young or too old to expand the scope of your explorations into wild South Carolina. While planning your summer adventures, don’t forget our diverse waterways, including the extensive seafood industry they provide.   We’re fortunate in SC that fresh seafood is ready to enjoy some place in the state year-round, whether it be in a restaurant, on a banana boat, or at the business end of a fishing rod. From coastal waters in the Low Country to our fresh water in the north, South Carolina’s been known for and celebrated its diversity of seafood, readily available for literally centuries. We know Beaufort’s...

Have you peeked into the Pearly Gates or Spent a Little Time on the Porch Dying on the vine is not how any of us want to leave this world and being remembered for something we've done or contributed is a good way to begin the last leg of your journey to the Pearly Gates.  That said, one thing I personally wanted to wrap up was what started as merely answering a couple questions for my kids, their kids and grandkids but quickly snowballed. I thought being able to tell them how and when our direct ancestors came to this country was my inroad into the questions about how our family came to America and when to pass along to my descendants. The more I got into the tedious research and challenges of the sites I visited, the more I was smitten and wished we'd been taught history this way vs merely remembering dates of wars. More importantly, confirming information I soon realized is a big challenge and can lead one down a path not even relevant to our own heritage and thus waste time ...